Rotary internal-combustion engine



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f ROTARY NTERNAL COMBUSTON EIIYGIRLEY 4 Sheets-Sheet. l

Filed Dec. 3o, 192e ri g VE fr@ f5.7 )1W/Zay Feb., 29 192., 1,701,648

, .LE WMLDEY ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 5o, 192e v 4 sheets-smet 2 my? Ev fr@ fm1/dy ROTARY KNTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 50, 1926 f 4 Smeets-sheet 5 @ab 'ly 1929,

l 1,701,648 .5. F. WILDEY ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE iled Dec. S0, 1926 4 sheets-' .met 4 fra' f77/270134 y sATEs WIDEY, 0F CHIAGD, ILLINOIS, 'ASSIGNOR OF FORTY-FIVE ONE-EUNDREDTHS TO JAMES 1li'. ROSS, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROTARYrNrnnnAL-comsusrron ENGINE.

Application tiled December 30, 1926. SeriatNc. 157,222.

This invention relates to improved rotary internal combustion engines.

lt is an object of this invention to provide an improved form of rotary internal combustion engine having combustion cylinders 1n opposed relationship as part of an annulus together with pistons having a reciprocatmgL motion in the cylinders, both the pistons and cylinders having a variable motion relative to each other and also to the rotating axis of the annulus of which the cylinders form a part; the piston strokescorresponding to a two or four'stroke reciprocating engine cycle being produced by the intermittent varying motion of the cylinders and plstons relative to the'uniform rotation of the common axis thereof.

It is also an object of this invention to provide means for supplying fuel and air charges to the rotating cylinders and exhausting the burned gases therefrom.l

It is another object of this invention to provide suitable' gearing connecting cylinder and piston carrying members to a driven shaft having a uniform. rotational motion, to provide for sequential cylinder and piston acceleration and deceleration, relative to the uniform motion of the driven shaft whereby the` cylinder accelerates while the piston decelerates to provide the compression or exhaust stroke on the stroke of the piston on one of a pair of opposed cylinders while the other of the pair in opposed relationship thereto has the reverse motion producing the out-stroke of the piston, thus providing the intake and combustion strokes. While the form shown herein for illustrative purposes contemplates four stroke cycle operation as above described, it is obvious that the same type of mechanismcan be' used for a two stroke cycle with only an alteration in the fuel inlet and exhaust arrangement.

4'Other and further important objects of this linvention 'will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

. Figure 3 is a section on the line IIL-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section'- on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a reduced scale line VI-VI of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a section on the samdline as Figure 6 taken in the opposite direction, as indicated by the numerals VII-VII of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawings:

The device of this invention' may be either a single or double unit, the double unit being section on the shown in plan section7 in Figure 2 whereinthe upper and lower parts are duplicates set to lire alternately in order to produce more uniform torque. As the two sides-are duplicates, the same reference characters willbe used on each.v The general layout comprises a base 1'0 having main bearing standards 11 for the main or driven shaft 12, together with the pair of side bearing standards 13 for pinion. shafts 14. The central gearing) closed by a casing 15 suppprted the inion shafts 14. y p

The power mechanism comprises two or cam gear 26 on its other end, the sleeve 25 being free to move on an inner sleeve 27 which is jpurnaled on the main shaft 12 but not keyed t ereto.

A pair of pistons 28 and 29 conforming tio the cylinder shape are yoked to a common arm 30, it being understood that each pair of opposed cylinders has a pair of pistons,the arms 30 extend inwardly to the sleeve 27 the other end of which carries a cam gear 31 which is a duplicate of the gear 26 but is nor mally arranged with its lobes 32 midway between the 1obes33 of the gear 26. Duplicate eccentric pinions 34 and 35 are pinned to the shafts 14 with the eccentric projecting portions on opposite sides ci the shaft so that' when the igh spot ci onel pinion meshes with the low spot between the lobes of one of the cam gears 26 or 31, the low spot on the cam gear to accelerate while the other is retarded and vice versa due to the scroll-like character ot the gears, thus causing relative motion between the cylinders and pistons while both' are rotating with the main shaft 12.

concentric gear 36 is keyed to the main shaft 12 and meshes with concentric pinions 3'? on the pinion shafts 14, these pinions 37 being driven by the eccentric pinions 34 and 35 and assuring a uniform rotation ot the .main shaft to assure proper timing ci the piston and cylinder motion relativeto the valvetiming. a ,c

lThe cylinders are supplied with uelknlinture and the exhaust products condticted away by means of grooved rings 38 and 39A bearing against the sides of the valve chamber bosses 22. @ne of these rings 38 is con' nected to a carburetorv or other fuel supplying device by means of the pipe 40'which `holds the' ring against rotatiom rlhe exhaust ring 39 is similarly connected to an outlet and held against rotation. These ringsv are grooved as at 41 to match with ports 42 leading into chambers 43 below the valve heads, the valves being operated from cams 44 n a hub 45, tree on the main shaft by .means of roller followers 43 and radial rods 47 operating valve rockers 48 which contact the ends of the valve stems, the earns being held stationary by connections to the outer ring 38.'

The operation.

With the mechanism assembled as de- I scribed, the initial start is provided by cranking the main or driven shaft 12 as in' any internal combustion ehgine, in order to draw in the fuel and air mixture through the pipe 41 tov the ring 38 and thence to the inlet valves 2() which open in proper sequence so that the particular cylinder about to start on its suction stroke vwill obtain a charge of fuel and air through its inlet valve.

The following description of the operation holds good i'or normal running as Well as starting, although by describing the start, the operation will appear clearer.

The rotation or" the main shaft 12 to start up themechanism drives the pinions 37 by means of the middle concentric gear 36, and these pinions rotate the shafts 14 carrying Y the eccentric pinions 34 and 35 meshing with the cam gears 26 and 31. When the low side of one pinion meshes with a lobe or high spot on its'corresponding cam gear, the cam gear avancee will rotate at a speed less than the speed of the concentric gear, and as the pinion rotates to bring its high side into mesh with the low 'spot on its cam gear between the lobes theresuch cycles occur for each revolution of the cam gears. rEhe cylinders and pistons are connected to their respective cam gears so that the variable rate ofacceleratioh vand deceleration causes the pistons and cylinders to move away from each other to produce the out-stroke of the piston and towards each other to produce the irl-stroke, onecylinder and piston or each pair having an in-strolre (the compression or 'exhaust stroke) while the other piston and cylinder are on the outstrohe, producing the inlet or expansion strokes of four stroke cycle. When the cylinders accelerate or move ahead their pistons decelerate or remain relatively stationary, thus acting as abutments, and when the pis- 'tons move ahead the cylinders act as abutments, thus causing rotation of the whole assembly.

rlhe power produced by the combustion stroke oi the piston is transmitted through the earn gears to the pinion shaft and thence through the concentric pinion and gear to the main shaft, reversing the starting-sequence as described above.

l am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a Wide range without' departing from tlie principles ot this invention, and l therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art. l: claim as my invention: l. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising cylinders and pistons arranged in arcuate alignment about the circumference of a circle, rotating means separately supporting said cylinders and pistons, and separate multiple lobe cam gears and pinions adapted to produce alternate accelerations and decelerations of said supporting means.

2. in a rotary internal combustionA engine, a main shaft, pairs ofopposed cylinders, means supporting said cylinders on the periphery of a circle relative to said mainshaft, pistons linlred in pairs in each of said pairs of opposed cylinders, means supporting said pistons, and separate multiple lobe cam gears andpinions adapted to produce alternate accelerations and decelerations of said supporting means.

3. ln an internal combustion engine, cylinders arranged with their axis forming axis of the circumference oi a circle, a rotatable mounting therefor, pistons'. in said cylinders,

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momes y e rotatable mounting therefor, sep-erste mulf tiple lobe cem gears connected tossici mount# ings, enolrelat-ively. xed eccentric pinionsV meshing with ysaid cam Agears and atlepted to s tt cause oscillating relative movement betweenV said cylinders and pistons. v

4. lln a rotary internal combustion engine, pairs of opposed cylinders, pairs 'of linked pistons, one in each cylinder, mounting means l@ adapted to rotate seid pistons and cylinders about 'e common exis, seperate multiple lobe @am gears connected to said mountings and relatively fixed eccentric pinions meshing with, said cam gears and adapted to causel oscillating relative movement between said im' r. WrLDEY., 

